I thought you already had a certain concept. That this is not the case makes the whole thing even more sympathic. I will definetely follow your work with King Crimson and of course with PT. I hope you and your band(s) will come on tour to Germany as soon as possible. Do you come to the Musikmesse Frankfurt this year?

Watching Arriving Somewhere... something occurred to me. For the jam at the end of Hatesong do you guys count out a specific number of measures or do the other guys just wait for you to start riding on the china to signal the last two measures? Just wondering...

Guess i was wrong! The worst part is that i listen to it watching the transcription, and still it doesn't sound like that to me. Not to question Terry's abilities. Guess i must train my ear a bit more.

Watching Arriving Somewhere... something occurred to me. For the jam at the end of Hatesong do you guys count out a specific number of measures or do the other guys just wait for you to start riding on the china to signal the last two measures?

Who is the bass player you have had the best time with, musically speaking? (besides 0zric maybe?).

I've been lucky enough to play with some amazing bass players such as Tony Levin, Mark King, John Giblin, Nathan East, Mick Karn, Danny Thompson, Randy Hope Taylor, Laurence Cottle, Martin Elliott and many others - all of them were great fun in one way or another.

I couldn't really pick one. From that list I suppose I spent the most time playing with John Giblin - and so we had a great rapport. I've also spent a lot of time playing with Colin from PT and over the past 6 years we got to know each others playing very well. It's always a partnership playing with a bass player.

I love the stuff you've done with your drumming throughout the years and the massive knowledge base you've built up into your books and dvds, it's completely mindblowing.

I've been playing drums over a year and a half now and I'm beginning to work my way through your rhythmic illusions book. I am very interested in illusions like those in the book and also syncopation in general.

Just on the first displacement exercises, does the syncopation become more natural with practice, so one would be able to displace any beat on the spot any amount of subdivisions, or will you always have to learn a new beat in displaced form from scratch each time?

Is there any specific serie you like ? F1, Touring car, Nascar?
Do you also race cars in your free time, or is it more a passive hobby?

I'm mad for Formula 1...but I don't get to drive too much these days - let alone race. I hardly go anywhere in my car.

Hi mp3guy,

Just on the first displacement exercises, does the syncopation become more natural with practice, so one would be able to displace any beat on the spot any amount of subdivisions, or will you always have to learn a new beat in displaced form from scratch each time?

Good question. Displacements do get easier the more you practice them - I can displace really simple beats pretty much on the spot into any position - and if you're using it as an effect - the simple beats are the ones you should use. If you're using displacement for compositional purposes - and displacing a quite complex beat - then I find I have to write it out and learn it as a 'new' beat.

There could be some interest from a practice point of view. Assuming that you're right handed/right footed and would play the left handed kit with your right hand on the hi hat. I tried for some time to play left hand lead on the hi hat (on my regular right handed kit - like Billy Cobham/Simon Phillips) - and although it made me feel different (and some new ideas came through) when I recorded myself - the time didn't feel as good as if I played the hi hat/ride with my right hand (so I gave up on it). However if you're interested in experimenting - I think having the hi hat on the right side (or in front of you) via a remote cable hi hat could be an interesting thing. I did sometimes play with a closed hi hat where my first floor tom would traditionally be - and I got a nice open feeling from it - plus it made me think differently. I can see little sense in playing a truly left handed kit where I would cross my left hand over my right to play the hi hat. It just wouldn't sound and feel as good as a right handed kit.

What would you say are the typical responsibilities of a session/touring musician?

Being professional. Knowing the songs before rehearsals start, being there on time, and being conscientious about every aspect.

What characteristics do you feel are essential to survive being a touring musician?

Having a sense of humour.

In terms of a salary for a professional drummer , what are the typical rates when you start off?

Mostly doing things for free or very low pay. I don't really know what folks get paid these days. Back in the early 80's I would do bar gigs for about £20

As regards to the working hours, how unsociable can they be, are you at the beck and call of the artist your playing for?

It's really not a 9 to 5 type of job. I have done recording sessions that started at 10am and finished at 4am the next day. Some artists prefer to work late at night - others want you playing the drums at 9am on the dot.
From your experience is there always some kind of contract involved when playing with artists , or is it more self-employed?

I've never had a contract with any artist.

Would you say oppurtunites abroad are better than the UK , when it comes getting gigs?

It's wherever you get a lucky break. In the early 90's, lucky breaks were coming from Italy for me.

When traveling are you responsible for your travelling expenses?

It depends on the type of tour you're on. Usually the artist pays the travelling expenses - whether that's the petrol money for your car (on small tours) or the plane ticket - or tour bus (on bigger tours). I don't charge the artist to get from my house to the airport.

What qualifications do you have, or is word of mouth and networking more important?

I don't have any real musical qualifications - word of mouth is what it's all about.

Following on from that are any trade publications usefull for finding professional work?

I don't know anymore. There used to be a weekly paper called "Melody Maker" around in my early days - and they had adverts for auditions.

What professional bodies do you think are essential or usefull, such as the MU?

The Musicians Union have a strong presence in theatres and TV/radio. When I started out it was pretty much compulsory to be a member. It maybe has less relevance to where I am now.

I'm so glad that you and PT are coming down-under. I can't wait for the Sydney show. I hope that you like it here.

I was wondering how long you guys are here for?? I see that you have 3 shows in 3 days.... do you have any plans to do any clinics while you are here or will you just be in and out with PT? Either way i can't wait to watch you and PT.

Nice to correspond with you. Love your work with PT and especially your drum sound and technique.

A couple of questions if I may.

1) I have recently started editing and creating new drum tracks from real drummer samples in ProTools. Mainly to write to and give me a better drum feel for composition (keyboards). I've wondered about the practicalities of recording real drum parts to my stuff but I guess it could be prohibitively expensive. Do you have a standard rate for recording drum parts at your studio?

2) A question re live work. Do PT take their own PA on tour and does that affect your drum sound from an audience perspective. Do you ever get big differences between what you hear (from your own monitoring) and what the audience hears? Do you use any form of attenuation to reduce the effects of very loud gigs?

Nice to correspond with you. Love your work with PT and especially your drum sound and technique.

A couple of questions if I may.

1) I have recently started editing and creating new drum tracks from real drummer samples in ProTools. Mainly to write to and give me a better drum feel for composition (keyboards). I've wondered about the practicalities of recording real drum parts to my stuff but I guess it could be prohibitively expensive. Do you have a standard rate for recording drum parts at your studio? Can you work with ProTools files?

2) A question re live work. Do PT take their own PA on tour and does that affect your drum sound from an audience perspective. Do you ever get big differences between what you hear (from your own monitoring) and what the audience hears? Do you use any form of attenuation to reduce the effects of very loud gigs?

I've never really gotten round to trying to learn any of your songs (the shame i know :p )
but i was just wondering what you think would be the funnest/best song to learn for an intermediate player and maybe reasons why?

I'm so glad that you and PT are coming down-under...I see that you have 3 shows in 3 days.... do you have any plans to do any clinics while you are here or will you just be in and out with PT?

Yes, I'm working on trying to arrange some clinics.

Hi Geoff24,

I've wondered about the practicalities of recording real drum parts to my stuff but I guess it could be prohibitively expensive. Do you have a standard rate for recording drum parts at your studio? Can you work with ProTools files?

Yes I can work with Protools files. Contact me via PM.

Do PT take their own PA on tour and does that affect your drum sound from an audience perspective. Do you ever get big differences between what you hear (from your own monitoring) and what the audience hears? Do you use any form of attenuation to reduce the effects of very loud gigs?

No we don't carry our own PA around. I can't usually hear what's happening in the PA - but I can feel the volume and bass end in the room when the PA is on or off - so depending on the room it can affect my monitoring a bit.

Hi Drizzle,

What's in your opinion the record(s) with the best drumsound?

That's a really tough question because I find it very hard to separate the drum sound from the personality of the player. When I hear John Bonham - I hear that drum sound. If I heard another drummer play on John's drums - I'm sure it wouldn't sound the same to me. So I just love 'his drumming' - (and his sound just comes along with it).
I love Jeff Porcaro's snare drum sound - but I just don't think it would sound the same if he wasn't playing it and placing it in the pocket as only he could. Does that make sense?
It's a thing that I find difficult about mixing and mastering - I find it very difficult to separate the 'sound' from the 'music'.

Hi DT91,

i was just wondering what you think would be the funnest/best song to learn for an intermediate player and maybe reasons why?

There's quite a few - but one that springs to mind is "The Sound Of Muzak" from "In Absentia". It has some good fun rhythms to play. The verses are in 7 and the choruses in 4.
cheers
Gavin

That's a really tough question because I find it very hard to separate the drum sound from the personality of the player. When I hear John Bonham - I hear that drum sound. If I heard another drummer play on John's drums - I'm sure it wouldn't sound the same to me. So I just love 'his drumming' - (and his sound just comes along with it).
I love Jeff Porcaro's snare drum sound - but I just don't think it would sound the same if he wasn't playing it and placing it in the pocket as only he could. Does that make sense?
It's a thing that I find difficult about mixing and mastering - I find it very difficult to separate the 'sound' from the 'music'.

cheers
Gavin

I see what you mean, it reminds me of a something Neil Peart said about Steve Gadd's drumset while recording the Burning for Buddy sessions. Steve's drumset arrived the day before he supposed to play and his drum tech had set it up and Neil played it to set up the mixer and it sounded real dead and awful. Then when Steve came in the next day he started to play and it they sounded great....

HI Gavin, saw you in Quebec City with PT and I can honestly say that you are one of my favorite drummer . I bought your DVD (rhytmic horizons and Arriving somewhere) at the event and i watched it a lot, it's so inspiring to see you play different style of music. Your drum fills are so creative, melodic and rhytmic and most of all never obtrusive, you play a lot but it's always tasty . How do you develop such a unique style and how do you know when it's too much and when it's ok to do it? I also want to know what inspire you to do the little finger tapping on the snare head while you're doing cross sticking cause it's the first time I ever saw it, did it come from you or you heard another drummer do that before? And finally I want to know how do you switch from real loud playing to the subtlest buzz roll cause I have hard time switching dynamic like that at gig. I got so many more question but that's for an other post . Thank you.

Hey djlouis, that finger tapping while cross sticking has been around for a while. I know that Bernard Purdie used to do it while playing. There is a video of him doing it on youtube, just serach his name and you'll probably find it.... It adds some nice, extra groove to simple beats. Ever since i saw Purdie doing it i've added it in here and there while cross-sticking because it sounds so nice. I've never seen Gavin doing it before though... that's cool!!

How do you develop such a unique style and how do you know when it's too much and when it's ok to do it?

I think the biggest determining factor in a musicians style is their personality. I realised this when I was first working in Italy and couldn't understand the language. I could quite easy feel the musicians personalities when I played music with them. Things like being gracious and tasteful - humorous - melancholic - right up to pushy and egotistical are pretty obvious if you're sensitive to that. Playing too much or not enough is also controlled by what your parameters of taste are. Having a feel for balance is very important for being tasteful. If you're going to play something tricky it needs to be balanced with an amount of simplicity - otherwise it becomes boring and meaningless.

(I'm not referring to myself here - they're just my observations).

I also want to know what inspire you to do the little finger tapping on the snare head while you're doing cross sticking cause it's the first time I ever saw it, did it come from you or you heard another drummer do that before?

Actually I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. I once saw Carlos Vega do it about 20 years ago when I was lucky enough to sit directly behind him at a concert. He also did a really cool 'flam cross stick' thing too.

I didn't know that the clip was hosted on here. I had just come across it randomly on youtube. I can understand why it would annoy you. Sorry again. Sorry for being off topic too.... back to the original thread.

I didn't know that the clip was hosted on here. I had just come across it randomly on youtube. I can understand why it would annoy you. Sorry again. Sorry for being off topic too.... back to the original thread.